Loose-leaf binder



July 1, 1930.

E. BLACKBURN LOOSE LEAF BINDER F ile d Feb. 25. 1929 lllll INVENTORPatented July 1, 1930 PATENT oFFifcE ERNEST BL CKBURN, or MOUNT LEBANON,PENNSYLVANIA LOOSE-LEAF BI DER Application filed February 23, 1929.Serial No. 341,909.

My invention relates to looseleaf binders and has for one of itsobjects, the provision of a binder wherein sheets may be readily placed,without the necessity of having such 6 sheets specially punched I orshaped to permit of their attachment to the binder.

Another object of my invention is, to provide a binder which will beconvenient of manipulation when placing and removing sheets. 7 J 1 Stillanother object of my invention is to provide a binder of generallysimplified and improved formbut which'will nevertheless securely holdthe sheets against displacement. Someof the forms which my invention maytake are sho'wn in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a viewof the 9 binder taken on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectionalplan View of the binder; Fig. 3 is. a view thereof looking from theright handside of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view showing the binder in openposition to receive sheets; Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and edge viewsrespectively, on an enlarged scale, of one of the clips; Fig. 7 showsone of the clips in operative position with respect to one of the posts;Fig. 8 is afragmentary View of the clamping bar and plate illustrating aclip used as a gauge and a punch to perforate the edge of the paper tobe inserted in the binder, and Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view showmg-a modification of the base plate of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, the binder is provided with side coverportions 10 and 11. which are shown as of flexible material such ascloth or leather, and as integral, they.

being-composed of a continuous sheet of material that extends between aback plate 12 and a-base or angle plate 13. Aback plate cover 14-is alsoshown as formed of flexible material which may be sewed to form asuitable sleeve enclosing the. plate 12 and whose ends are folded inbetween the cover sheet 10-11 and the plate as indicated at 15. The endsofthe plat'e12 are bent over the ends ofthe plate otherwise 13 tosecurely hold the plates together and to clamp the cover sheetstherebetween. The base plate 13 has a pair of cars 16' struckatright-angles to one'of its sides, for the reception of pivot pins orrivets 17 upon which a hinge bar 718.1is pivotally mounted.Screw-threaded binding posts 19 extendthrough the bar 18 andhave r0,-tatable movement therein, cotter pins 20 extending through the posts inorder to prevent displacement thereof with respect to the bar 18. r I Mj The flange 21 of the angle-plate'13 serves as a clamping plate and hasslots.-22into which the outer end of the posts 19 may ti? be moved whenthe binder is closed, as shown in, Figs. 1 to 3. h

A clamping bar 24 has screw-threaded engagement with the posts 19 sothat when; such posts are rotated as hereinafter ex- 7Q plained, the barwill. be moved longitudinally of the posts, to clamp or release sheets25 thatthe binder is designed to hold.

A tool or clipthat serves as a wrench for turning the posts 19. and forpunching key-hole slot 29, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. The largerportion. of theslot permits the clip to be passed over the end of one ofthe posts 19, and-each of the posts is 0 undercut as shown more clearlyin F igs. .4

and 7, toform fiat-sided slots 30 with which the slots .of the narrowedportion of the slot 29 may engage. The clip thus serves as a stop memberfor holding the plate 21 against outward movement through pressure ofthe bar, 24 against the sheetstha't are interposed between the bar. andthe plate '21. With themember 27 and the post 19 in assembled position,the member 27 9 will therefore either serve as a locking clip or awrench as heretofore indicated.

In order to gauge and punch holes in one edge of a paper to be insertedin the binder, 5 the punch device 28 of the clips will be opened and asheet is brought into position between the sections 27 and 28 ot' theclips with its edge abutting the hinge of the clip, as shown in Fig. 8.In this position, the holes in the paper will be properly gauged fromthe edge of the sheet and a downward movement of the member 28 willforcethe sheet against the end of the'post and cause a hole to bepunched in the sheet. When it is desired to place the punched sheets inthe hinder, the parts are swung to the position as shown in Fig. i, andthe sheets 25 are stacked on the posts 1.9 against the sheets 25. Theplate 13 is then swung about the pivots to'cause the outer ends of theposts 19 to lie within the slots 22 of the plate. Thereupon, a tool 28is placed upon each of the posts 19 in interlocking engagement with theslots 30 and the posts rotated to elevate the clamping bar 24: until thesheets arefirmly clasped between the clamping bar and the flange 21 ofthe plate 13, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 3.

The portion 28 of the tool may be" exgb tended as shown in Fig. 7 toserve as a lever for operating the member 27 with sufiicient force toefiect such rigid clamping engagement as between the bar 24: and themember 21 that the posts and their associated memhere will be rigidlyheld in closcd position. The member 28 'may then be folded 7 downagainst. the member 27. i

In Fig. 9, the plate'12 corresponding to a the plate 12 of Fig. 1, isshown as corrugated 4 or ribbed to increase the stiffness thereof. 7

It will, of course, be understood that various changes in detail andgeneral arrangement may be made without departing from y the spirit andscope of the invention as de- 4 fined in the accompanying claims, such,for instance, as the provision of other forms'of cover members 10 and'lland't he holding means therefor, etc.

I claim as my invention 1.. Binder. structure comprising a base, a

binding post, a member to which the post' is rotatably connected, means.hingedly connecting the said member to the base, aclampin'g bar havingthreaded connection with the post,"a plate, and stop means carried thepostand overlying the plate in position to maintain the same in clampingengagement with sheets disposed betweensaid plate and bar.

2. Binder structure comprising a base, a binding post, a member to whichthe post is rotatably connected, meanshingedly connecting the saidmember to'the base, aclamping bar having ,threaded connection with thepost, a plate, and stop means carried by the post and overlying theplate in position to maintain the same in clamping engagement withsheets disposed between said plate and bar, the plate being providedwith an open-sided slot to permit swinging movement of the post andclamping bar into and out of. cooperative position with respect to theplate. i

3. Binder structure comprising a base, a hinge bar pivotally connectedto the base, binding posts each rotatably mounted in the hinge bar, aclamping bar having screwthreaded connections with said posts, aclamping plate connected to said base, and means connected with saidposts for maintaining the said plate in clamping engagement with sheetsinterposed between the clamping bar and said plate, the hinge bar beingmovable about its pivot to carry the posts and clamping bar to and fromoperative position with respect to the clamping plate. I V

'4. Binder structure comprising abase, a hinge bar pivotally connectedto thebase, binding posts each rotatably mounted in the hinge bar, aclamping bar having screwthreaded connectionswith said posts,and aclamping plate, the said plate having rigid connection with the base andhaving opensided'slots to receive the bodies of the posts and to permitswinging of the posts and the clamping bar upon said pivotal connectioninto cooperative relation with the plate and. means for clamping sheetsbetween the said bar and the plate.

5. Binder structure comprising a back plate, a base plate, posts carriedby the case plate, a side cover member interposed between said plates, aback cover member M overlying the outer side of the base plate andhaving its edges disposed between'the said plates, and means forholdingsaid plates in clamping engagement with the cover members. r

6. Binder structure comprising posts, means for supporting saidposts, asheet- .clamping bar carried by said posts, and means associated withsaid posts for hold- 7 ing sheets in operative position against the barand for punching sheets to be placed on the posts. j

7. Binder'structure comprising a base, posts, means for rotatablysupporting said its posts on the base, a clamping bar having threadedengagementwith the. posts, and means associated-with said postsforrrotat ing the same to effect movement of the. clamping bar and forpunching sheets to be placed on the posts. V 5

8. Binder structurecomprising. a post having'a transverse slot adjacentto one end, means forrotatably supporting said .post'by its. other end,a sheet clamping bar having threaded engagement with said post, and 1means for holding sheets against .saidfbar',

ing threaded engagement with said post,v

and means for holding sheets against said bar, comprising a clip havingan irregularly-shaped opening therein, one portion of said opening beingof greater diameter than the post, and another portion thereof being ofreduced width to permit of interlocking engagement between said clip andthe post at the said slotted portion thereof,

the said slot and the reduced portion of the clip being of such formthat the clip may be utilized as a wrench for turning the post.

10. The combination with a binder post for supporting sheets, of asheet-clamping member on the post, a device for holding sheets againstsaid member, and means associated with said device and serving as afemale punching die cooperating with the end of the post for punchingholes in sheets to be placed upon the post.

11. The combination with a binder post forsupporting sheets, of asheet-clamping member on the post, a device for holding sheets againstsaid member, and means as sociated with said device for gauging andpunching holes in sheets to be placed upon the post, said means servingas a female punching die that cooperates with the end of the post topunch sheets.

12. Binder structure comprising abase, a post, means for rotatablysupporting the post upon the base, a clamping bar having 7 threadedengagement with the post, a clamping plate having an open-sided slot forreceiving the body of the post, and means for holding the plate inclamping engagement with sheets interposed between the plate and thebar, such post-supporting .means having pivotal connection with thebase, so that the post and the clamping bar maybe swung into and out ofcooperative relation with respect to the said plate.

1.3. Binder structure comprising a base, a post, means for rotatablysupporting the post upon the base, a clampig bar having threadedengagement with the post, a clamping plate having an open-sided slot forreceiving the body of the post, the said post-supporting means havingpivotal connection with the base, and means connected to the post andoverlying the plate for maintaining the bar and the plate in clampingengagement with respect to sheets disposed between the same.

14. Binder structure comprising a base, a post, means for rotatablysupporting the post upon the base, a clamping bar having threadedengagement with the post, a clamping plate having an open-sided slotforreceiving the body of the post, the said post-supporting means havingpivotal connection with the base, and means connected to the post andoverlying the plate for maintaining the bar. and the plate in clampingengagement with respect to sheets disposed between the same, thelast-named means serving also as a device for rotating the post toeifect movement of the clamping bar longitudinally of the post.

'In testimony whereof I the said Ernest Blackburn have hereunto set myhand.

ERNEST BLACKBURN.

